Publications

Shallow ground water in areas of increasing urban development within the Upper Colorado River Basin was sampled for inorganic and organic constituents to characterize water-quality conditions and to identify potential anthropogenic effects resulting from development. In 1997, 25 shallow monitoring wells were installed and sampled in five areas of urban development in Eagle, Grand...

Part of a special section on industrial minerals. Gemstone production, consumption and uses, prices, imports and exports are discussed, and the future of the gemstone industry is considered.

In 2001, one mine in Utah produced a small quantity of fluorspar. The majority of fluorspar consumed in the United States continued to come from imports or material purchased from the US National Defense Stockpile (NDS). In addition, a small amount of synthetic fluorspar (CaF2) was produced from industrial waste streams.

Seawater and natural brines accounted for about 60% of US magnesium compounds production in 2001. Dead-burned and caustic-calcined magnesias were recovered from seawater in Florida by Premier Chemicals. They were also recovered from Michigan well brines by Dow Chemical, Martin Marietta Magnesia Specialties and Rohm & Haas. And Premier Chemicals recovered dead-burned and caustic-calcined...

Exploration budgets fell for a fourth successive year in 2001. These decreases reflected low mineral commodity prices, mineral-market investment reluctance, company failures and a continued trend of company mergers and takeovers.

Published on an annual basis, this report is the earliest Government publication to furnish estimates covering nonfuel mineral industry data. Data sheets contain information on the domestic industry structure, Government programs, tariffs, and 5-year salient statistics for over 90 individual minerals and materials.

The estimated production during 2000 of construction aggregates, crushed stone, and construction sand and gravel increased by about 2.6% to 2.7 Gt (3 billion st), compared with 1999. The expansion that started in 1992 continued with record production levels for the ninth consecutive year. By commodity, construction sand and gravel production increased by 4.5% to 1.16 Gt (1.28 billion st)...

Part of the 2000 annual review of the industrial minerals sector. A general overview of the gemstones industry is provided. Although no extensive commercial mining of gemstones takes place in the U.S., it is the world's leading gemstone market. Total U.S. gemstone trade exceeded $16.9 billion in 2000.

A general overview of the fluorspar industry is provided. The U.S. had no reported mine production in 2000. Imports, sales from the U.S. National Defense Stockpile, and small amounts of synthetic fluorspar met domestic fluorspar needs. According to the U.S. Geographical Survey, 509 kt of fluorspar was consumed domestically.

Part of an annual review of mines and mineral resources in the U.S. An overview of nonfuel-mineral exploration in 2000 is presented. Principal exploration target was gold exploration in Latin America, Australia, and the U.S. There was a decrease of 18 percent in the exploration budget for gold as compared with the budget for 1999. Statistical information on nonfuel-mineral exploration...

US ammonia production in 2000 declined by about 7% from 1999. The largest decline occurred in the second half of the year. High natural gas prices caused many plants to close or curtail production near the end of the year. By year-end, about one-third of the US ammonia production capacity was shut down.

Seawater and natural brines accounted for about 63% of US magnesium compounds production during 2000. Premier Services in Florida, Dow Chemical in Michigan, Martin Marietta Magnesia Specialties, and Rohm & Haas recovered dead-burned and caustic-calcined magnesias from seawater. And Premier Services' recoveries, in Nevada, were from magnasite.